Welcome to a guide to the most underrated place on Earth. A wonderful, mystical world full of lush greenery, more animals than you could ever dream of and the friendliest people on the planet. The Lake District is located halfway between London and Scotland, and one of the most overlooked places in the United Kingdom (and possibly the world).

When I was planning my move to London, there were a few places I knew I absolutely needed to visit before I settled down. The top of my list? The Lake District. Renowned for its ethereal fields and rolling hills, this divine spot was a must-see on my list.

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to work with Lake District PR, who gave me the most incredible itinerary of all time and helped me to pick places to visit that would be unforgettable. We managed to cram more into four days than I ever thought possible, while never feeling rushed or forced to see anything. This is my much loved and researched guide to the Lake District, and I hope it helps you choose your accommodation, hiking spots and places to eat in the Lake District.

Getting There

We looked at a few options for getting to the Lake District from London, and there was the possibility to fly, drive or catch public transport. We opted for catching the train from Euston (in London) to Manchester, and then hiring a car and driving around for the entirety of our trip. When you’re under 25, there’s nearly always a ‘young driver surcharge’ wherever you go. It’s frustrating at the time, but I can completely understand why they do it.

If we were the right age, I definitely would have gone with Enterprise as we were recommended. Unfortunately they didn’t accept drivers under 25, so we went with a more traditional car hire place; Hertz. They were  easy to organise and though they pressured us a little to get the extra insurance (we didn’t, #brokelife), they supplied us with a beautiful near-new Hybrid Toyota that was an absolute beauty to drive.

In the end, we got stung with a few extra fees and paid roughly $900 for the car hire for 4.5 days, and that included the young drive surcharge, petrol and the mandatory insurance that everyone has to purchase. Overall I was happy with their service, but if I was over 25 I still would have gone with the cheaper (and more local option), Enterprise.

If I posted the entire guide on this one blog post, no one would ever get to the bottom as there's so much information. Instead, I've written guides for areas of the Lake District, as well as accommodation reviews and things to do and see. 

Below is our rough itinerary that was AWESOME to follow, and if you've got 5 days I'd highly suggest following in our footsteps as it was the perfect itinerary. 

DAY ONE - Windermere (Full guide HERE)

- Stay at the Swan Hotel and Spa

- Eat at the Flying Pig in Windermere

- Adventure at Treetop Trek

DAY TWO - Hawkshead to Loweswater (Full guide HERE)

- See Hill Top, where Beatrix Potter lived

- Stay at the Kirkstile Inn

- Eat at Kings Arm in Hawkshead

- See the Beatrix Potter Gallery

- Hike the Tarn Hows

DAY THREE - Keswick (Full guide HERE)

- Walk your own private alpacas on an Alpacaly tour

- Stay at the Keswick Country House Hotel

- Drive around the countryside

DAY FOUR - Pooley Bridge (Full guide HERE)

- Explore on the Ullswater Steamers

- Eat at the Aira Force Tearooms

- Hike between Glenridding and Aira Force

- Stay at the Pooley Bridge Crown Inn

DAY FIVE - Carlisle (Full guide HERE)

- Explore Carlisle Castle

- Marvel at Lanercost Priory

- Learn at the Birdoswald Roman Fort